Electric motor control for chimes



Dec. 30, 1958 P. DENTEL' 2,866,932

ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROL FOR CHIMES Filed Jan. 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Dec. 30, 1958 P. DENTEL 2,866,932

ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROL FOR CHIMES Filed Jan. 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROL FOR CHIMES Paul Dentel, Saverne, France, assignorto Fabrique dHorlogerie la Vetlette, S. A., Saverne, France ApplicationJanuary 12, 1953, Serial No. 330,645

1 Claim. (Cl. 318-446) The present invention has for its objectimprovements in sets of bells generally termed carillons and the likemusical mechanisms and their applications.

It is a well-known fact that various chiming mechanisms and, moreparticularly, those associated with clockworks, have to satisfy therequirements of various rules which are rather diflicult to observe,chiefly in the case of mass production. Thus, in particular, the shape,the material and the impact surface of the hammers play a predominantpart while the operation generally termed counter-hammering is diflicultto execute when the bulk is to be reduced to a minimum, and the controlof the chiming bell system or the like devices by means of an electricmotor requires the interposition of an electric relay.

In order to remove these drawbacks inherent to various well-knownrequirements and in order to simplify the various parts so as to allowmass production and consequently a reduction in cost price, the presentinvention discloses improvements in the execution of numerous parts andalso further applications of such parts.

It has for its primary object the use of plasticmaterial for theexecution of bell hammers and, more particularly, that of hammersintended for use in chimes. The substitution of plastic material for theleather lining the hammers and serving for the obtention of harmonioussets of bells, provides the advantage not only ofcutting out thedifficulties of obtaining leather of substantially uniform character,but also of removing the necessity of perfecting from time to time thearrangement by reason of the hygrometric instability of leather.

The invention has further for its object a system for hitting thesound-givingmember wherein a single spring operating tractionally actsas a stop, as a shank and as a counter-hammer, the two points ofattachment of the spring and the rotary axis of the hammer or hammerslying, when inoperative, theoretically on a rectilinear line, while theouter point of attachment of the spring may be shifted in bothdirections coaxially with the axis of the hammers through any suitablecontrol means with a view to adjusting the intensity of impact. T hisarrangement shows the considerable advantage of cutting out thenecessity of long hammer shanks with a view to forming a spring and anelastic stop and it allows, furthermore, the adaptation of very simplemeans for modifying the intensity of impact.

According to a further feature of the invention, the direct drivethrough an electric motor of the bell mechanism is associated with thecontrol switches providing respectively for the release of the chimingand for adjustment of its duration as a relay, while a movable memberacting as a measuring wheel, controls last mentioned switch forming arelay. This cuts out the clockwork or relay that is now always requiredfor the direct control by an electric motor.

According to a still further feature of the invention, a bell, carillon,or music box mechanism controlled by a 2,55,932 Patented Dec. 30, 1958spring or by a weight that is raised by an electromagnet or an electricmotor is started from a distance through the energization performed by aswitch, such as a time switch e. g., while the operative path of thespring or of the weight is limited so as to correspond to the durationof the chiming or of the tune played by the carillon at a speed adjustedby a flywheel acting against the resistance of air or by any suitable orknown means. This mechanism allows limiting the operation of theelectric motor or electromagnet to the mere cocking of the mechanicalcontrol means.

According to a further object of the invention, there is associated witha bell, carillon, or music box mechanism in accordance with thepreceding disclosure, a toothed roll or drum constituted by a removablecamshaft which controls the rising ofthe hammers and is laterallyshiftable by one or more intervals to correspond in succession tovarious tunes. Also it is possible to provide for the adaptation of thecams on the camshaft to the playing of two or more tunes by thepossibility of changing the removable camshaft, each interchangeablecamshaft corresponding to one or more predetermined tunes.

The invention also covers the production of tunes by means of the abovementioned mechanisms operating through bellows actuating whistles or thelike vibratory members of the type used in organs, concertinas,harmonicas or the like acoustic devices.

This provides the advantage of producing pleasant tunes of any type andsubstituting for the usual sounds obtained with bells, gongs, trianglesand the like, sounds obtained by whistles or vibrating blades as in thecase of harmonicas whereby the conventional scale of the chimes isincreased by notes forming an agreeable and bright melody.

Lastly, the invention provides for the use of the improved mechanismsreferred to as applied to bells or sets of bells carried by doors or thelike to serve as signalling means. This substitution of sets of bellsfor entrance door bells, telephone bells or the like alarm systems,provides the advantage of replacing, by a varied selection of tunes,unpleasant and harsh noises by musical and agreeable sounds, whileremoving the parasitical strays; such varied tunes may be playedadvantageously crescendo and also it is possible to make such mechanismsoperate directly under the voltage of the electric network withoutrequiringatransformer'.

These various objects and features of my invention will be disclosedwith further detail hereinafter with reference to accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational View of a bell system;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View of the same system seen in side view;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of various members of the same system;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical elevational view of a modified embodiment ofthe system shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the arrangement in. cluding variousparts of a bell mechanism controlled by an electric motor; Y

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of a modification of the control of thebell mechanism by an electromagnet; and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the application of bellows to thebell mechanism with a view to replacing the conventional carillon orchime bells by other sound-producing means.' p

The hammer 1 (Figs. 1 to 3) forming anessential member of any bellmechanism is made according'to the invention of synthetic moldedmaterial, preferably nylon or the like superpolyamidic material, themass of which is increased'through the insertion of a metal core 2. Itis of particular interest, from an economical standpoint, to substitutesuch a synthetic material for the leather generally coating the hammersused nowadays, for obtaining a harmonious chiming, this interest lyingin the difiiculty of obtaining a leather having a substantially uniformyieldingness and also, as mentioned, by reason of the hygrometricinstability of leather. The synthetic material referred to cuts out, asa matter of fact, these drawbacks. Furthermore, it is possible and ofadvantage to replace the leather coating by mere pieces of plasticmaterial, as shown at 3 in Fig. 3, where such a piece is constituted bya slightly conical plate fitted in a slot 4 provided inside the metalmass 5 of the hammer 1 and held inside said slot through the mereclamping of its end. This connects the two sections of the hammer in aneconomical and lasting manner.

The conventional long hammer shank serving as a spring and an elasticstop is generally associated with a braking system adapted to hold thehammer fast, immediately after impact so as to produce a counter-hammereffect and this requires often an objectionable bulk which it issometimes impossible to obtain with the size given to the set of bells;now, the invention provides a coil spring 6 one end of which forming anattachment point 7 is hooked onto a lever 8 rockably mounted on astationary spindle 9 on which rocks also the hammer 1 (Fig. 2). Theother end of the spring 6 forming the attachment point 11 is hooked tothe lower end 12 of the hammer 1. When inoperative, the point ofattachment 11 lies on the straight line connecting the attachment point7 to a point 9 of the axis of rotation 9 around which the hammer rocks.

The spring 6 operates tractionally and, in order to ensure a completelyaperiodical operation, said spring may be associated with another springthat is tuned to a quite diiferent frequency.

The lever 8 is urged permanently by a return spring 13 secured to astationary point 14, against a cam or snailshaped stop 15. An angularshifting of said snail 15 produces a modification of the location of thehammer 1 with reference to the sound-producing member, and this leadsconsequently to a modification in the intensity of impart. To this end,it is sufiicient to modify the position of its point of attachment 7 inthe direction of the arrow x or y of Figure 1.

It is of advantage to provide a series of flat operative surfaces on thesnail 15 in order to obtain a corresponding number of differentpositions for the lever 8. But it is also possible to obtain a similarresult by means of an adjusting screw acting directly on the lever 8.

The coil spring 6, may, through its particular attaching means, play theparts of a shank, of a counter-hammer and of a stop. The hammer 1 isdriven by the conventional cam 16 acting on a lug 17011 the shank 10.

In the case of a still more reduced bulk, it is possible to resort tothe arrangement illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 4, wherein thehammer is carried no'longer at the end of a rocking shank, but issecured to the end of a rod 18 adapted to be shifted along its axisinside the bearings 19 and 19. The hammer 1 is secured to the rod 18through welding, riveting or screwing; it may also be integral with saidrod. When inoperative, the location of the hammer 1 is defined by thecoil springs 20 and 21 that are not tensioned. The spring 20 acts as ashank and the spring 21 as a counter-hammer. The con ventionalhammer-raising cam 22 acts on a driving washer 23 which is screwed,welded or riveted to the rod 18 or formed integrally therewith.

When the cam 22 rotates in the direction of the arrow f around the pivot24, its teeth act on the washer 23 and shift the whole arrangement inthe direction of the arrow f which provides for the cocking or stressingof the spring 20. When the washer 23 is free from the tooth on the cam22 that engages it, the hammer 1 is projected upwardly against thesound-producing, member while cocking slightly the spring 21 whichreturns the whole arrangement to its original position of equilibrium.

The carillon or the like mechanisms are generally controlled by a springor weight forming the prime mover which is generally wound up by hand orelectrically. In this case, the control of the electric motor isperformed through the agency of an electric relay and the duration ofoperation is controlled either by hand or through a clockwork or arelay. In order to cut out this clockwork or relay, the inventionreleases from a distance the playing of the tune by means of an electricswitch, such as a time switch for instance. When the tune has beenstarted, it stops automatically as soon as it has been played. To thisend, the electric motor is associated with a driving member, forming ameasuring or timing wheel, and with an electric switch.

As illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 5, the hammer or hammers 1 areraised by the cam or cams 25 revolving around the spindle 26. On thelatter is rigidly secured a timing wheel 27 driven by the pinion 28 onthe shaft of the electric motor 29. The rotor 30 of the motor 29 carriesa pin 31 abutting against the arm 32 of the lever 33, subjected to theaction of the spring 34, when the motor is not energized. Incontradistinction, when the motor 29 is energized, the magnetic flux ofthe stator exerts on the arm of the lever 33 pivoting at36 an attractionthat is greater than the action of the spring 34. By reason of thisattraction, the arm 32 is urged out of the path of the pin 31 so thatthe motor may revolve freely.

The so-called timing wheel 27 carries also a pin 37 acting on theoperative lever 38 of a switch 39. When the arrangement is at rest, theswitch 39 and the switch 40, in parallel with the latter, are both open.A pressure in the direction of the arrow f exerted mechanically or byhand on the switch 40, energizes the motor 29. At this moment, the arm35 of the stop-forming lever 33 is urged against the stator about itspivot 36 and its other arm 32 releases the pin 31 so that the rotor 30may now revolve freely. The timing wheel 27 is then driven in thedirection f and the pin 37, which had broken its branch circuit throughengagement with the arm 38 of the switch 39, allows after a fewfractions of a second said arm 38 to recede, which provides a freepassage for the current. From this moment onwards, the switch may beopened and the wheel 27 continues rotating until the pin 37 engagesagainthe lever 38 and breaks the current at 39. During this revolution of thewheel 27, the suitably outlined cam or cams 25 provide for theproduction of the desired tune. As soon as the current is broken, thelever 33, subjected to the action of the spring 34, returns into itsoperative position by pivoting about the pivot 36 to engage the pin 31wherein it prevents the rotor of the motor from continuing its rotationunder the action of its inertia.

This association of various means known per se allows obtainingsubstantial advantages: it is however possible to modify the arrangementdisclosed and in particular the timing wheel 27 may be driven by anynumber of parts inserted between it and the motor.

The'arrangement described allows simplifying the control system of theset of bells and consequently leads to a substantial reduction in thecost price and all the more so inasmuch as it allows a mass production.Thus, the chimes or sets of bells improved according to the invention,may replace advantageously electric bells in all their variousembodiments and applications and also cut out their numerous drawbacks,such as their unpleasant nerve-racking noise, the production of wirelessdisturbing strays and the like. The selection of a tune played crescendomay also be of interest in such applications.

The carillons referred to may thus be substituted for all door-bells,telephone call bells and the like alarm devices and they may also beoperated directly by the voltage of the mains without requiring atransformer, which provides a further economy.

It should also be understood that in the case of circuits including atransformer, the latter may be retained, the motor being provided with alow voltage winding. By reason of the ease of dismantling of the motorcoils, the substitution of one coil for another allows practicallyoperation on a very large range of voltages extending between say 3 and380 volts.

In the case where the current used is direct current, or when it isnecessary to cut out the relay switch, the precedingly describedarrangement may be modified as illustrated in Fig. 6. In this case, theelectric motor serves only for the cocking of a mechanical motor, suchas a spring or weight-operated prime mover driving in its turn the bellmechanism, the speed of operation of which is adjusted by a suitableregulator such as a flywheel acting against the resistance of air.

In the case illustrated in Fig. 6, an electromagnet constituted by acore 41 and a winding 42 is controlled by means of a remote switch 43.The core 41 includes an extension forming a rack 44 meshing with apinion 45 revolving loose on the axis of the gearwheel 46 and rigid witha ratchet wheel 47. The ratchet wheel 47 drives through the agency ofthe pawl 48 the gearwheel 46 in the direction of the arrow f The geartrain 49-50 leads to a flywheel 51 operating against the action of airwith a view to regulating the speed of operation. The hammer-controllingcam may be mounted rigidly on one of the gearwheels of said gear train,say 46 or 49. By depressing for a moment the switch 43, the winding 42is energized and exerts a pull on the core 41 which moves until it meetsa stop. When the current is broken, the core 41 is urged in the oppositedirection through the action of gravity or by a return spring 52 urgingthe core in the direction of the arrow 2. During this return movement,the core drives through the rack 44 the pinion 45 and thereby thegearwork at the speed regulated by the flywheel 51 and consequently alsothe hammer-controlling or raising mechanism.

In all the types of bell sets described hereinabove, it is possible toinclude various drums or cams providing for the playing of two or moretunes. In this case, it is possible to resort to the conventionalcamshaft adapted to be shifted axially through one or more intervals,each shifting through one interval corresponding to engagement of oneset of cams with the hammers.

It is also possible to provide for the ready removal of the camshaft soas to exchange it easily with another camshaft producing one or moretunes. This exchange allows the change of the tunes played, as desired.

Lastly, in the case where it is preferred to produce the sound of abellow-operated whistle, or of vibrating bells rather than that ofbells, gongs, triangles or the like, the arrangement describedhereinabove allows such a substitution. Thus, the bellows may beactuated by the mechanism controlling the set of bells just like clocksof the well-known cuckoo type. This control of wind instruments may beextended to that of the vibrating blades of harmonica. To this end (Fig.7), the hammer rod or rods 53 rocking at 54 raise the bellows 55 throughthe agency of a rod 56 to which is hooked a rod 57 controlling theharmonica 58 so as to ensure a reciprocatory movement in front of themouth-piece 59 of the bellows 55. The harmonica produces then no longerthe conventional scale, but a series of notes the sequence of whichforms an agreeable and bright melody.

What I claim is:

An actuating mechanism for a sound signaling device which includes avibratable member adapted intermittently to strike a sound producingelement, an electric motor including a stator, rotor, and shaft, a pincarried by said rotor, a pinion carried by said shaft, a pair ofparallel electric circuits for said motor between the motor and a sourceof electrical power, a manual switch in one circuit, a spindle adjacentsaid motor, a cam on said spindle adjacent said vibratable member foractuating said vibratable member upon energization of said motor, atiming wheel on said spindle adapted to be rotated by said pinion, abell crank lever adjacent said motor, one end of said bell crank leverengaging said pin when said motor is deenergized, the other arm of saidlever being magnetically energizable upon actuation of said motor tomove said one arm to release said pin and a second switch in the otherof said circuits operable by said timing wheel to continue the operationof said motor for a predetermined period after said manual switch isopened.

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